


Love languages are... complicated

by Bill_Longbow



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Fluff, Foul Language, Getting Together, Multi, Showing Love by Getting Angry When Worried
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-08
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-14 01:55:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29288679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bill_Longbow/pseuds/Bill_Longbow
Summary: Steve, Tony, and Bucky all unwittingly pine after each other, but show it by getting angry when they're worried.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Comments: 8
Kudos: 60
Collections: Stuckony Love Letters





	Love languages are... complicated

**Author's Note:**

  * In response to a prompt by [ralsbecket](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ralsbecket/pseuds/ralsbecket) in the [Stuckony_server_love_letters](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/Stuckony_server_love_letters) collection. 



> Written for the lovely Shalina for their prompt: Expressing love languages. Hope you like this little ficlet!
> 
> Thank you to Sagana for being an awesome cheerreader!

"WHAT THE EVERLOVING FUCK, STARK?!" 

Steve advances on Tony even before his armoured feet touch the landing pad. Steve's the picture of righteous fury. With the low sun illuminating him from behind, his hair is like spun gold, almost looking like a halo. 

Tony, of course, doesn't give an inch. 

"We're back to Stark now? Well, you're welcome,  _ Rogers _ . Without me you now would be scraping civilian body parts off the pavement." The faceplate retracts halfway through the rant, revealing Tony with his eyes blazing. 

"There were other options than you  _ flying the fucking explosive into the stratosphere! _ "

Steve is standing close enough now for their noses to be touching, and Bucky imagines he can see the heat of their collective fury shimmer in the air around them. 

"I did the math and, newsflash Capsicle, my math is never off!" Tony's voice steadily rises, and somehow he even steps closer still. 

"What about some unknown variable, huh,  _ genius _ , what about that?" Steve pushes at Tony's chest, and Bucky knows from experience he has to have used a lot of force to make Tony back up the few inches that he does. "What if we had to scrape  _ you _ off the pavement?"

Tony visibly recoils, but then pushes at Steve's chest, making  _ him _ back up one step. 

"And what if we had to scrape  _ you _ ?"

It's a lousy comeback, in Bucky's opinion, but from his spot in the control room he can't comment on it. Nor does the rest of the team, who are carrying equipment off the quinjet and chatting amongst themselves as if they don't hear the two yelling. 

Steve and Tony stand face to face, breathing angrily at each other, before at some unknown signal they turn around and both stalk off.

Two hours later Bucky finds them in the kitchen, trading jabs and utensils with equal ease and camaraderie, leaving Bucky bewildered. 

  
  


~~~

  
  


"IF YOU EVER PULL A STUNT LIKE THAT I'M GONNA PUT AN AI IN YOUR SUIT THAT IMMOBILIZES YOU AT THE MERE THREAT OF SUCH GRAND STUPIDITY!"

Tony is almost screaming at Steve, and they haven't even left the battlefield yet. 

From his vantage point Bucky couldn't see what Steve had been up to, but Steve's track record spells it can't have been any good. 

"HE WAS GONNA VAPORIZE YOU!"

"I WEAR A SUIT OF TITANIUM ALLOY!"

"Boys..." Nat says pleasantly, "press arrived."

Bucky can almost hear them grit their teeth as they both turn away and help with the clean-up. 

There's a pattern here, and Bucky's not surprised later in the day Steve makes Tony's favourite hot chocolate coffee concoction, and Tony volunteers to cook chicken Alfredo. 

  
  


~~~

  
  


It took a while for Bucky to get used to be around people again. It took even longer for him to grasp the intricacies of social interaction. He isn't all there yet, but he's pretty sure this behaviour between Steve and Tony isn't regular. Except the whole team treats it like it is, and it leaves Bucky befuddled. 

  
  


~~~

  
  


It's a coincidence Bucky has his scope on them as it happens, and he sees the scene unfold in exquisite close up: Steve barrels at Tony with super soldier speed, Tony twists just in time to catch him and completes the turn  _ to throw Steve at the incoming squad of grunts _ . Actually throw him. Like an oversized bowling ball.

He sees red.  _ How dare these fucking dimwits endanger themselves like that?! By his Steigr he swears he's gonna punch them both if they pull a…  _

_ … _

_ Oh. _

_ Ohhh… _

With inhuman speed and accuracy Bucky dispatches the last of the goons in his sector. He's got more important things to do now than concern himself with this week's wannabe villain. 

He puts his rifle on his back and runs across the battlefield, shooting whoever gets in his way --  _ in the kneecap _ of course, he's not a villain anymore. He  _ might've  _ been so eager to share his new found insight that he  _ may  _ not have noticed the head honcho opening up some kind of weird can until he’s right on top of him and can only deflect the energy beam with his metal arm. Through an ultimate twist of fate the beam reflects straight into the head honcho’s face, which melts -- eww -- but which also means the crook lets go of the can, dropping it on the ground where it harmlessly rolls away and comes to a halt at Steve’s feet. Steve, who had been half a mile away only a few moments before.

“Are you okay?” Steve pants, taking the final few steps to grab onto Bucky’s upper arms and look him up and down.

Tony lands next to Steve, looking equally worried. 

They stare at each other for a split second, before they all start to yell.

“What the hell were you thinking..?”

“You never run straight at a villain like that…”

“... I’ve seen some stupid stunts, but what the…”

“... I’m gonna reprogram your arm…”

“... if you ever do something like that, I swear…”

“... can’t lose you again…”

They stop simultaneously, Bucky’s insight creeping onto the other two as well. It’s almost comical, the change that comes over the other two, going from blazing to shocked to almost bashful.

“Well...” Tony smiles shyly.

“Yeah...” Bucky agrees.

“So…” Steve coughs.

“Finally ready to shag it out?” Clint calls from behind them, where Nat’s trussing up the head villain. 

“Told you Barnes would figure it out first.” Nat says when she’s done. Clint picks up the villain and throws him over his shoulder, and together they walk off.

“Seems like solid advice,” Tony nods, his face transforming when he grins cheekily.

“Never been one to ignore good advice,” Steve agrees, but Bucky punches him in the upper arm.

“You wouldn’t recognize good advice if it punched you in the face. Repeatedly.”

“Hey… that’s not true!”

“Boys, let’s fight this out somewhere… more private?”

  
  
  



End file.
